Take a deep breath …. and then exhale slowly ….
by Darren Spence
Take a deep breath in through your nose and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this 10 times or until you have calmed down enough to ensure you don’t say, write or do anything that you might regret.
Following the Demons can be hazardous for your health. Memberships should really come with a health warning as not only did I have to be at the pub at 10.30 am as the only option to watch the game, it was another close one and I found myself doing the above mentioned breathing exercises for about 5 minutes after the game, a game we should have never have lost, another game against North and another game that even the most ardent North fans would have tipped themselves to lose.
I don’t know why we can’t beat North. They are probably one of the most irrelevant teams in the AFL, I probably could only name on one hand the amount of their supporters I know and for some reason we just cannot beat them. Coupled with the fact that every game is vital right now for our finals chances, losing on Saturday was tough……Right up until the last 10 seconds I had no doubt in my mind that we would win, I had full confidence all day so when the siren blew, like us all, I was guttered.
I am not going to report much on the game, for fear of giving additional publicity to Norf, but they did use the conditions better than us, especially in the last quarter, and that’s why they beat us. Full stop.
Again I will use the cut and paste option and comment that Oliver gained over 30 possessions, 33 in fact, equal with Lewis who spent most of the game as a loose man in defense. I think whoever carves out names on the Bluey trophy can start the job early. I think Oliver has it in the bag, a fantastic effort for someone only in his second year of senior footy. Besides Oliver and Lewis, Gawn had a good game finishing with 52 hit outs, Tyson was busy, especially early on in the piece, and Garlett was dangerous all day with 3 goals in, what was, hang on, I need to do my controlled breathing exercises again…..a disappointing day….let’s just leave it at that.
Another game beckons and another trip interstate on Saturday this time against another top 4 aspirant in the Giants. Hogan will be missing unfortunately and at the time of writing I have just read that Cameron is out….this somewhat evens the ledger. If last weeks’ loss doesn’t have the boys fired up I don’t know what will….we have a good record against GWS and I am predicting the boys will bounce back in what I expect to be a fiery game. Jones is expected to return also to add leadership and I expect us to win.
Go Dees
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Scarily good!
by Darren Spence
This season is turning out to be quite unique.
In my long history of supporting the Dees I don’t think I have seen the Melbourne players in our squad collectively all improve as they have this year. You would be hard pressed to name a player that hasn’t.
It is one of the reasons that the football world is so bullish about our squad and much credit needs to go to the coaching, drafting and support staff collectively. With the whole squad developing it creates depth on the list.
The days of players playing 1 good game in the 2nds and getting promoted the next week are long gone, today players have to earn a game by exhibiting the right behaviors and performances on a consistent basis before being rewarded and this ensures that should opportunities in the seniors present itself that a number of possibilities are available, all ready to go to play their role. This is a hallmark of teams that are successful. It is also a hallmark of envy amongst fellow teams.
The first half on the weekend was scary. Scarily good! Up against one of the competition front runners the Mighty Dees blew the Power away with enormous pressure around the ball. A concerted effort to overcome the slow starts that have plagued us all year was a real focus and an almost goalless first half to Port was the result.
It was Viney who set the tone. Coming back only 19 days after surgery, and he himself admitting that he will be playing sore, he led from the front in the first quarter with 12 possessions (4 of them contested). Gawn had his best game since returning from injury dominating this years’ potential AA ruckman and helping the Dees smash Port in clearances, contested possession and inside 50s till the main break.
An expected fight back after half time by the Power did come but the damage was done earlier and the Mighty Dees ran out winners by 23 points in a crucial win for our finals aspirations.
I have already mentioned the efforts of Viney and Gawn and it was my man crush Hibberd who was our best player on the day. He finished with a game high 36 disposals and has become such a vital play-maker for us off half back. Cut and paste Oliver got another 30 touches, Hunt was very good and Hogan, like Gawn, played his best game since his return with 3 goals. Tyson was busy, Jetta did no harm to his AA aspirations and Melksham looks to have found a new role up forward with 3 goals also in what was one of our best performances this year.
This Saturday sees us travel down to Hobart to play the Roos. We haven’t beaten them in over 10 years although we have made a habit of breaking hoodoos this year. This is a game that we just can’t drop. Good teams win these games and with only 5 left till the finals the boys won’t let this one slip away.
Go Dees
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Have we seen the last of our Achilles Heel?
by Darren Spence
Social Media in today’s world is ubiquitous. Hardly a day goes by without people checking their Facebook account, uploading a photo to Instagram or Tweeting off a comment.
It allows us to keep up to date with all the happenings in the world and gives license to people to invoke their first amendment right and tell everyone how they feel. And didn’t Dees fans let everybody know how they felt after last Saturday’s game!
I know that someone of the vehement venting that was put out there is not immune to other clubs (look at what Issac Smith copped!) and a little part of me admires their passion, but gee some supporters have short memories and heaven forbid social media wasn’t around in the early 80s when we lost basically every game.
However some of the personal attacks I read about our players, coaching staff and the committee left a bitter taste in my mouth on what was already a disappointing night last Saturday.
All year our achilles heel has been our slow starts and so it was in Darwin as the Crows blew the game away to what turned out to be a match winning lead of 35 points at the first break. You can’t give starts like that away to Nurmakah 3rds let alone an AFL side on top of the ladder and I am sure Goodwin and co will be working hard to identify and alleviate this deficiency in our game.
It’s frustrating to watch as the boys fought back hard into the game and after Hunt’s long bomb on the 3 quarter time siren we were back in it but alas it wasn’t to be and Adelaide ran out well deserved winners inflicting our first interstate loss for the year and leaving us with a perilous grip on a spot in the 8.
Up forward we struggled all night, no disrespect to Jake Melksham intended, but if he is our main goal scorer with 3 and our only multiple goal scorer we just aren’t going to win many games. Conversely, the much vaunted attack of the Crows got the upper hand on our defense and it was actually pretty difficult to find a Melbourne player that was a winner on the night.
Vince certainly had the better of Sloane although sadly another undisciplined act will see him on the sidelines for a couple of weeks. Both Hibberd and Hunt provided good drive out of defence, Lewis was our highest ball winner with 33 touches and JKH and ANB both impressed on what can only be described as a forgettable night for the Mighty Dees.
This weekend we have a chance to atone the defeat up against the other South Australian side in the Power. We are back at the ‘G, it looks like we will have a few key players back and it is a great opportunity to play against another top side.
There are only 6 games left and every one of them is critical and I am sure the boys will be fired up for a win and all the keyboard warriors out there will have reverted back to singing the praises of the team we love come Saturday afternoon.
Go Dees
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Dees get a timely win – last play of the day
By Jacqui Parry
I think this about sums up the match last Sunday. Onward and forward we will play finals. Revisit these great moments:
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Sunday is traditionally a day of rest
Where here in Jakarta families go to the pub to share a quiet family lunch with their kids in the hope of some peace and quiet on a lazy Sunday away from the hustle and bustle of a busy week in this crazy metropolis that makes up Jakarta.
I apologize to each and every one of these families by shattering their dreams on Sunday with my constant yelling and screaming – being the sole occupant in the enormous sports bar failed to mask my initial frustrations and ultimate glee as the mighty Demons won another close game against my much despised team in Caarlton.
No doubt this was always a danger game. Notwithstanding our burgeoning injury list the Blues have been in some decent form lately and early on it did look ominous as once again we started slowly and conceded the first 3 goals of the game.
Carlton supporters will look to 2 key injuries in the 2nd quarter as an excuse for their loss, and whilst there may be some credence to this argument, we have suffered similar fates in almost every game this year, so I am not going to shed a tear for them and our ability to grind out our second close win in a row speaks volumes for our developing maturity and belief as a group.
Tom McDonald was once again a match winner with 4 goals. They often say strength comes through adversity and without the injuries to Hogan, Spencer and Gawn then McDonald would more than likely have spent the entire year on the big gorilla forwards. Now we have the flexibility for him to also be the same gorilla up in front and he certainly has been a revelation this year. Furthermore it has allowed the fast tracking of the development of blokes like his brother Oscar and Sam Frost as well Pedersen. Who knows, these injuries may just turn into a blessing in disguise?…..just no more injuries OK?
Neal-Bullen recaptured his early season form and was dangerous with 24 possessions and 2 goals and Oliver took time out from chatting to those lovely Blues supporters to pick up a lazy 29 touches. You can hear St. Kilda supporters let out a collective groan every times Petracca touches the ball and he did that a lot on Sunday getting it 25 times. Last but not least Neville Jetta – the results of games can sometimes come down to one individual contest – and that last play of the game which saw Jetta win the ball is a perfect example of this – Neville is now starting to gain the recognition of the wider football world he deserves and an AA nomination is certainly not out of the equation.
This week we are on the road again on Saturday night. As the only side to have not lost interstate this year the boys will be super keen to keep this record intact and mirror our earlier season win against the Crows.
No further injuries last Sunday is a god send and we will be looking to bring key personnel in this week in what is going to be a cracking game and a 4 quarter performance will guarantee our further entrenchment in the top 8.
Go Dees
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